American family considering Hong Kong

[MandM!]

An alternative is for you to come out to Hong Kong on you own, and leave the kids and wife back home, with frequent trips back while you set up this new venture.

Leave the wife and 5 kids...

Might as well hire a helper and skip the trips back home.

[bookblogger]

It is possible to find good deals - but again, very hard for a new comer and these deals are HARD to find.

1750 sq ft in Pok Fu Lam for $45K (ok but OLD building - I've seen it before). I expect that apartment will be on the market for a week or less.

https://geoexpat.com/classifieds/apa...wner/ad/280325

Or you could just move into the empty three-storey mansion on the Peak which has about 8 bedrooms, glitzy 1970s features, open fireplaces and a view over the harbour... squabbling absentee owners cannot agree what to do with it so you could probably live there for a year before they notice.

[HK_Katherine]

Don't forget to consider the cost to run a car. Petrol is about US $8-10 per gallon and if you live in the sticks, you're gonna have hella traffic and tunnel fee. Parking, license fees, tunnels, tolls, gasoline, inspection and annual scamathon to get a new MOT inspection can run you about 10k a month easily. If you have a newer car, don't forget the 150% tax on buying a new car.

FFS you don't NEED a car, even in the sticks - at least not until family member #6 is too big to squeeze into a 5 person taxi..... Plenty of accommodation and even village housing in the NT with very good bus access - provided, as I noted earlier, you find the school first and then move nearby. The OP wants to work from home so he does NOT need to drive into work - NO NEED to ever visit the island so no need to incur tolls.

I think it's also pretty mean to say it won't work because he's american and can't cope with cultural change... WTF folks - I know some americans who are really culturally aware and adaptable... and others who are not. Give the poor sod a chance before you damn him for just being an American. The fact he's asking sensible questions and doing his own research is a damn good start. And his kids are YOUNG - they are flexible and will cope with whatever you throw at them. It's the wife that would concern me.

[HK_Katherine]

the other thing that is worth pointing out about HK, is that you can also get a helper. That would really help out your wife with the young kids, and they are not that expensive (circa 4k a month, plus you have to give them a room to sleep in, they must be live-in). That's one of the big plusses of raising kids here actually.

[HowardCoombs]

Original Post Deleted

Been there, done that, done the airplane as well as the boat. Just because you can't see yourself doing it or dont enjoy doing it doesn't mean its not feasible.

This guy is motivated and when there is motivation, people will find a way. The biggest issue I see is that the wife is not on board with the same amount of enthusiasm.

[bookblogger]

Original Post Deleted

I thought he had to, because of that one record he plays constantly over and over again at top volume? No wonder it's broken!

[Lord Dashwood]

FFS you don't NEED a car, even in the sticks - at least not until family member #6 is too big to squeeze into a 5 person taxi.....

Let me guess: No kids?

[Titus]

LOL this banter between members making it end up not being about the OP is cracking me up

[HowardCoombs]

Original Post Deleted

Yea, seriously. Is that going to be your make or break? Darling, I've got this really good business plan that could make us millions but we cant do it because I cant imagine going on the bus with 5 kids. Its impossible, never been done, cant fathom it.

Get your head above the bus fumes and concentrate on the important bits : the bus and your constant hardon for it is not where its at.

[bookblogger]

LOL this banter between members making it end up not being about the OP is cracking me up

And nobody has told the OP that he can't bring his gun collection yet.